About Us

Technological advancements in auditing and quantifying building materials through deconstruction and devolumization, and the implementation of sustainable strategies addressing global environmental concerns, have accelerated the need for identification and recovery processes for construction and demolition materials otherwise subject to landfill.

• Policy: define and develop improved sustainable development strategies for construction,
  demolition, LEED projects and other reconstruction projects;
• Process: manage the deconstruction and devolumization process (the means) to accomplish the operational tasks;
• Expand the policy and process across Canada through developing SustainaBuild teams.

Policy: SustainaBuild consults with building owner and managers, organizations, and governments to assist in the development of standards, tasks and specifications to meet sustainable development strategies. Demolition specifications are now incorporating deconstruction methodology for reusing and recycling building materials as an economical approach to extending their life cycle through reconstruction.

Process: On its own, policy would have little effect if there was not a well-defined process in place to operationalize all of the tasks that are needed to realize the policy.

Sustainabuild has defined a standardized extended building-life-cycle process (see Solutions page) that changes the equation from costly building demolition to low cost building deconstruction and/or devolumization.

With a well defined process in place all the tasks necessary to operationalize the policy become real devolumization deliverables. This state-of-the art devolumization process (see Solutions) changes the equation from costly building demolition to low-cost building deconstruction and reduces or eliminates the costs of removing a building while generating net revenue. The process also ensures that building materials experience an extended life cycle through reconstruction.

The process is managed by a unique automated set of audit, inventory and management tools, developed with our partners to manage the full end to end process and tasks.

Sustainabuild is able to audit and devolumize projects of modest size up to mega industrial sites.

• Audits and consultation with the United Nations Industrial Development Organization and the Canadian International Development Agency in Sarajevo, Bosnia Herzegovina;
• Experience with Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) and Department of National Defence (DND) in the National Capital Area (Ottawa, Canada) includes assisting with the development of a Waste Reduction Management Plan (WRMP) for the deconstruction of a large building at CFB Rockcliffe with impressive landfill diversion rates;
• Assisting PWGSC and DND Environmental Engineering Project Managers in an auditing and deconstruction project at former CFB Downsview in Toronto. Worked with the prime contractor to identify end users for inventory in four large buildings. Achieved over 90% diversion rates with most material being reused by First Nations communities. As well, there was minimal difference in costs from a straight 3R Demolition project;
• The result of the CFB Downsview project influenced PWGSC personnel to rewrite the deconstruction section of the National Master Specifications to reflect this new approach to deconstruction. This specification section is available to all PWGSC project managers to assist with their work plan and to influence the tendering of the project;
• Pre deconstruction audit of the National Defense Medical Centre in Ottawa to evaluate building materials with a potential for reuse and recycling. This information provided PWGSC with the option to tender a deconstruction project as compared to demolition;
• Pre deconstruction audits and consultation for PWGSC on the Harry Hayes building in Calgary, AB and the PWGSC Custom House building in Victoria, British Columbia; and
• Public and Private Sector LEED consultation in Alberta, BC, Saskatchewan and Ontario.

*LEED is owned by the USGBC, SustainaBuild Canada Corp is not affiliated with the USGBC. SustainaBuild Canada Corp supports the objectives of the Canadian Green Building Council and provides services and products pertaining to the LEED Rating System.

Contact us at to discuss your project.